When You Can’t Find Coffee Creamer in Spain … You Make It Yourself

Photo by Jodie Morgan on Unsplash

One of the many challenges of living abroad is missing foods from your home country. While American fast food chains abound here in Valencia (looking at you, Five Guys and Wingstop), some things simply can’t be replicated in Spain — unless you’re willing to make it yourself.

For the past year, I’ve learned to live without some of my favorite foods. I’m healthier for it, but occasionally, nostalgia hits, and I just want something more familiar. That’s when my cravings for sausage gravy and biscuits, and my favorite coffee creamer hit, all of which aren’t a “thing” in Spain.

Recently, I decided that if we’re going to be in Valencia for the long haul, I have to put on my proverbial apron and learn some new recipes. While you can buy a lot of American food items online or at Taste of America in person, the cost adds up fast. I’m willing to pony up for the basics — like brown sugar — because those ingredients aren’t readily available in Spanish grocery stores. But buying powdered Coffee Mate creamer at double or triple the cost of U.S. prices isn’t sustainable. (And I’m a sucker for a great coffee creamer.)

These days, café con leche is my go-to coffee beverage of choice — at home and out. Starbucks is a rare treat (there are way too many great cafés here to try!), and I dare you to try to find coffee creamer in a grocery store. But this week, tired of my regular, I wanted that coffee creamer flavor that takes regular espresso up a notch.

I’m a cook, not a chef, so experimenting in the kitchen isn’t usually my thing. But since some of you asked, I’m sharing the two coffee creamer recipes I tried my hand at this week, which turned out better than I expected.

Mocha (Double Chocolate) Coffee Creamer

Ingredients

• 2 cups oat milk (or your preferred milk)

• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional, but deepens the flavor)

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 2–3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk (add more for sweetness or thickness)

Instructions

1. Whisk cocoa powder and espresso powder with a few tablespoons of warm oat milk until smooth.

2. Add the remaining milk and the condensed milk.

3. Stir in vanilla.

4. Store in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to a week. Shake before using.

Tip: You can melt a few chocolate chips into the warm mixture for a little extra richness.

Crème Brûlée Coffee Creamer

Ingredients

• 2 cups oat milk (or whole milk if you prefer a creamier texture)

• 2 tablespoons caramelo líquido (or caramel sauce if you have it)

• 1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon butter (optional, for a richer “burnt sugar” note)

Instructions

1. Warm the milk gently in a saucepan.

2. Whisk in caramelo líquido, condensed milk, vanilla, and butter until smooth.

3. Let cool, then refrigerate in a jar for up to a week. Shake before each use.

Tip: If you think the results are too thin, stir in an extra tablespoon of condensed milk into the chilled version.

I don’t know why I never considered making my own coffee creamers before. It was really easy, and I’ve had a taste of the familiar all week long after spending just a few minutes with some simple ingredients. It might feel a bit inconvenient at first, but after I’ve done it a few times, it’s going to become second nature. Living abroad doesn’t mean you have to do without your favorite things. You just might have to find a different method of getting them.